Consulate General of Brazil

On my way to pick up my VISA now. I had all my paperwork together. I’m a little untrustworthy of the U.S. Postal Service so I’m making the trip back to San Francisco. Wish me LUCK. So far so good. The security guys is very helpful Pick is from noon to 1pm.

I really had thought I was going to have trouble getting my visa, but it all happened very smoothly. A few tips to the would-​be travelers to Brazil looking to get a visa:
1. Get your appointment right away. In SF, it books about 2 – 3 months out, so it’s important to get the appointment. To get the appointment you need to begin filling out the online visa form to get an application number. Without that number, you won’t get an appointment. Print out the appointment slip (they will ask for it at the door). Each visa requires a single appointment. You can’t have 4 visas for 1 appointment — you must make 4.
2. Fill out the application completely, and scan then upload required items like your photo, signature, passport copy, itinerary, etc.
3. Read through the General Information page as well as the FAQ page for a checklist and detailed instructions. Remember, each consulate has different requirements, so follow the one for your jurisdiction.

4. Put everything together in order. Make sure you buy the money order from the post office and bring it with your appointment.
5. On the day of the appointment, it’s okay to arrive early. The woman at the door will ask to see your appointment slip, and will then give you a number. Once you get the number just wait for your number to be called.
6. Send in your items and you’re done! You could pick it up at the consulate, or buy a USPS Express envelope (that’s what I did), and it worked out well.
The people at the consulate were friendly, and they wanted to hear more about what I had planned on my trip! It was a very pleasant experience, and shouldn’t deter you from going to Brazil!

Great service. I had more of an urgency in the nature of my trip (not for World Cup). They (especially Janete) really stepped up and helped me to meet the goal. People are friendly too. On the other hand the Chinese consulate is probably a two star at most considering the level of service it provides.

I’ve dealt with this consulate several times over the years, they always seem to come through for me. as long as you are prepared, you’ll get what you need. Organization is the key.
the website tells you everything you’ll need (and then some) but as long as you have everything required, they will be more than glad to go the extra mile. Very smooth and very fast.

I had gone into the Consulate to obtain a Tourist Visa. I was extremely apprehensive, due to the number of Negative reviews. I thought for sure they would pick apart Any reason to reject your application. I came to the appointment very well prepared, making certain that I had Everything mentioned in their requirements.
Upon entering the 3^rd floor appointment center, I was greeted by an employee, who made certain that I had an appointment. I was then given a number for the cue. After about 10 minutes in the waiting area, I was called. The employee behind the window, asked for my documents. She took possession of them, stapled all the pertinent ones needed. Gave me a receipt and the tracking information, and told me that I within 10 days I should check the postal tracking to see the progress. I was done within 5 minutes after given the clerk my documents.
My experience there was very positive… no problems. Now, I’m just waiting for the post-​man.
Can not figure out why there were so many negative post, unless the individual/​s had not come prepared. San Francisco traffic, was more of a hassle than anything else.

The English portion of their website is not kept up-​to-​date and has wrong and missing information. Only money orders are accepted; no cash whatsoever. You must arrive between 9 and 11 in the morning to get a number for service.
Customer service also appears to be a foreign word here, and the staff will make sure that you understand that their mistake… is your own fault.
Save yourself some time, and cross check all information between the English and Portuguese pages of the website before heading there — best of luck!

Was really simple. Went in and handed my application fee and required documents. The officer was friendly. The whole process was done in 15 mins.

Had to go for an interview for my Work VISA. I took the advise of another poster and parked at the local parking garage on Kearny St. just a few blocks from the consulate, thank you.
I went into my interview over-​prepared and well organized. They called my number in about 5 minutes of getting it… well before my scheduled appointment. The gal was very nice and told me she wished everybody was as organized as I was, things would go SO much smoother and quicker. Anyway, I was out of there in under 10 minutes and well before my scheduled appointment time.
All I can say is if you are there for a passport or visa… be prepared and well organized. If not, you will get what you deserve I guess. My experience was positive and went very well.

Is it a PITA ripoff. .. YES! There is obviously no love between the US and Brazilian governments and the poor tourists and citizens pay the price. .. of course. We have a spoiled 11yo, so we have to get multiple signatures/​docs notarized at the outrageous price of $ 10 a pop. (ONLY in California. .. it is free back East, from a bank)
5 Stars for a governmental bureaucracy! hip, hip, hooray We followed all the instructions online to a «T». Made our appt. online. Shlepped in our docs and were given a std. motor vehicle type number to wait. We were called within 5 minutes. Our crap was checked over by a shockingly pleasant doc clerk. We were outta there in 10 minutes. Cross your T’s, dot your I’s online, check your paperwork 10 times before you show up and you too, will probably have a similar experience. Save the arm and leg charges from Visa filing services and do it yourself.

The employees work like they are doing a favor to us, Brazilians citizens, we pay our fees for they offer us a quality service, l, they are rude, unhappy and impolite. The operation hours is a joke 9am until 11am. A simple document request takes forever to be issued without relying on the bureaucracy.
Do not even think go there to ask for information !! all this in the «site» but you can not do anything, depends solely on the goodwill of them

This place is always looking for ways to do less work. As a Brazilian in the US for over 20 years, I’ve seen the level of service getting worse over time, from longer lead times to get documents done (used to be able to get some documents same day 20 years ago, now everything seems to take 10 days) to more hurdles being placed to get a document (now to get a passport you have to submit the paperwork electronically then show up in person; I bet no one will have taken a look at your electronic submission ahead of time, is just a way to turn more people away and make their lives harder to feel important).
The latest change is they don’t work on Wed unless you have an appointment because they need the extra day of not serving the public to do «internal paperwork». And good luck getting an appointment, this consulate does not answer their phones and does not return voice mails or emails ever. And their webpage only has 1 link updated with this new service hours, everywhere else still makes you think they will get drop ins on Wed, talk about incompetence (it’s the tiny link above the office hours on the front page, which are still wrong. YEP, front page is wrong and this is buried in a link with a tiny font):
We Brazilians know working abroad in Consulates is a cushy job of the well-​connected («cabide»). This Consulate is living proof of that.

In light of the number of complaints on Unilocal,I wanted to add my sense of our recent experience at the consulate.
Our experience was much like Megan O.‘s, i.e., easy and painless.
What people who complain seem to forget, ignore or believe shouldn’t somehow apply to them are «the rules». Just as one has to do when getting any official documentation from any entity, follow the rules. Don’t think just because you’re an American, or busy, or late getting to this «detail» you’re somehow absolved from your responsibility to read and follow directions and follow the da*n rules. It ain’t hard to do … this isn’t rocket science.
You’re asking another country to let you into their «home»; try to be a decent guest and follow the instructions on the consulate’s web-​site, bring the appropriate documents, have the postal money order and envelope and the process is painless and quick.
We are going to Brazil in November for our first visit and we were attentive to what the web-​site said had to be provided. We flew to San Francisco from Portland the day before; we put together our paperwork and waited in line for the consulate to open. We were ushered in at 9, sat in the waiting area for about 15 minutes and then were called up to one of the windows. We presented the documents as they were asked for, gave the diplomatic officer the postal money order and envelope and were done and back out on the beautiful streets of San Francisco in 30 minutes. The officer was polite and efficient.
Our passports were returned in 5 business days.

Thanks to previous Unilocalers, this was a pretty painless experience. My husband and I are traveling as tourists to Brazil with our two children. I thought I had done my homework and had all my documents, but one thing that surprised me was the need for a notarized Parental Consent Form for each of my children, despite the fact that both parents were present and we will be traveling together. Here’s what made our visit a success:
— Coming prepared with all documents needed: Appointment confirmation email, visa application receipt, 2×2 photo, passport, USPS money order (we had four separate, but we hear it’s fine to have one combined), printout of travel itinerary, notarized parental consent form for each child you are travel with, and a photo copy of their birth certificates. We didn’t need photocopies of our drivers licenses, and they didn’t care about the polio vaccination for our children, though they said to bring that to Brazil just in case. Our visa application receipts were «expired», but as others mentioned, that was a non-​issue.
— Park at 433 Kearny St. Cheap. Convenient. Bring cash to tip the valet.
— Marcelo was very helpful and personable. He made the experience as pleasant as could be.
— I’d recommend getting there early, as the line moved faster than I anticipated.
— We had 4 appointments at 9:00 and 9:20, but they saw us all together when the doors opened at 9.
— Visa pickup is strictly from 12:00 — 1:00. Not everyone in your party needs to be present for pickup. We applied Thursday AM, and our visas were ready the following Friday (8 days later).
If you come prepared, this will be a quick, painless experience. We were out in less than 30 minutes. Boa viagem!

A lot of the worst of corrupt, inefficient, nasty, unfriendly, Latin American stereotypes all rolled into one inconvenient location.
If Brazil thinks they are not in the 3^rd World, they’re crazy. This might as well be Angola!
Brazil is punishing Americans by making the visa process as difficult as it is for Brazilians to get a U.S. visa. What doesn’t fly however, is that many Brazilians overstay their tourist visas here. I really doubt that any Americans overstay their Brazil visa to get an illegal job for $ 1.25/hr!
Rethink your visit to Brazil. The Olympics will be a disaster and you’ll likely get robbed at gunpoint.

Well,
I have been in this consulate feel times. Two weeks ago i try to renew my son’s passport and it have a issue with a lady but i won’t say her name cuz she doesn’t deserve to have her name in my review.
Finally a week later i went there again and luckily i have a very gentle woman name «Lindsay» then finally treat me like a human.
I’m giving this 5 stars rating for her and how she did her job to help me to solve my issue not for the Brazilian consulate.

Talk about a quick and painless experience. Like any other government agency you have to be sure to go into the consulate prepared with all of the necessary materials and documents needed. If you do your time spent there will be quick and effective, if you don’t then I’m sure it’ll be hell. Use their website (
), as it does a pretty good job at explaining documents, money orders, and such that you need to take. Make sure you book VISA appts early as I hear they usually don’t have any until a month ahead.
Think of the consulate as if you were going to the DMV:
–if you don’t have an appointment try to get their before they even open to wait in line
–if you can’t make it that early then expect a bit of wait
–take all of the necessary documents or else you will basically have wasted your time
–they don’t make it a point to make exceptions often, so don’t go in expecting you will be different than most
–don’t expect friendliness or much excitement from the workers
I hope your visit is as quick and smooth as mines was, if you go prepared there is no reason it shouldn’t be.

I went to the Brazilian Consulate today, March 2. I was pretty nervous due to the stories i’ve heard about getting a Brazilian visa. My airline tickets were purchased 3 weeks ago for a March 17 flight. Our visas were to be processed with a musical band but the manager didnt submit our applications properly so we had to do it ourselves.
We initially called Travisa a visa securing agency who told me they couldnt even get an appt until April. I was then told to try the LA consulate. I was able to get the last appointment with LA for Monday March 9. I planned to head down here.
I also was advised to keep checking to see if any appointment slots opened up. On Saturday Feb 28, I checked the SF consulate website and I was able to secure the only available slot for Monday March 2.
Although there are two of us, they processed the Visa at the same time. My appointment was for 10:40. I arrived at 10:20. Around 10:45, they called my number and we handed all of the documents to Marcel. He collected the USPS money order and we were told to come pick up the visa the next Monday.
My advise is to follow the directions well on the website and plan in advance. I know I was lucky to get the appt today! There was an elderly couple there who had driven 3 hours and thought they could pay with a credit card. The attendant was very helpful, advised them where to go for the money order and told them to come directly to her upon their return.
Step 1-​Apply online, get your protocol number. I suggest you do this as far in advance of the trip as you can.
Step 2– Select an appointment day, you need your protocol number to make the appt.
Step 3. Print every thing.
Step 4. Bring your passport, your appt confirmation print out, your $ 160 in a USPS money order and your passport picture.
Very simple. No drama! No problems. Even the security were simply kind!
By the way, I agree with other posters that you should park at 433 Kearny street, its one block away. I paid 4 bucks.
Over all the experience was great! I regret the worry!
Ill come back and comment if there are any issues with the pick up! I do not anticipate any!

I was reading some reviews here, some people give 4 stars. I wonder how this place deserve 2 starts. Employees do not respect people, they work as if they are not getting paid. The whole time i was talking with an employee, she was rolling her eyes. Maybe the only few people who deal with none Brazilian citizens, are the ones who has a little bit of education. I am sure this employees complaint about the way public departments treat people in Brazil; and do exactly the same here.
Nao tem como explicar a falta de educacao dos funcionarios do Consulado Brasileiro em San Francisco. Eles tratam as pessoas com despreso, parece que esta fazendo favor e nao sendo pago pelo favor que fazem em ajudar as pessoas; o pior de tudo, que sao essas mesmas pessoas que reclamam de atendimentos publicos no Brasil, fazem igual. A cada pegunta que eu fazia pra funcionaia que me atendeu, ela virava os olhos pra responder. Nao tem nenhum departamento pra falar com eles, ou talvez ate encinar como se trata as pessoas. No dia que eu estava no consulado, um funcionario estava conversando com uma senhora e ele a tratava de uma maneira que parecia que ele nao queira ajuda-​la. Minha gente pessoas mais idosas tem uma certa dificuldade pra entender technologia, uma certa difuculdade pra preencher algum tipo de formulario, nao precisa tratar ninguem mal e com despreso.

Well I was completely stressed out before my appointment at the Consulate today. My vacation kicks off in two weeks, and all the negative reviews made me feel like my departure was up in the air.
I spent an hour the night before checking and double checking my paperwork to make sure everything was in order; I left home extra early to make sure traffic would not be an issue.
I arrived at the consulate 15 minutes early; my appointment was at 11:20 am. I went to the third floor, and was greeted by a nice lady at the front door. She asked for my email confirmation letter. This was not one of the required documents that the website indicated you would need, but that voice in the back of my head told me to bring it anyway! She gave me a number, and told me to have a seat. It’s very reminiscent of the DMV.
I waited only 10 minutes and my number was displayed on a screen ahead of me. They wont give an audible notice that your number is up, so you’d better pay attention!
I approached the window, and I was nervous. All I could think about were the horror stories I had read on the Internet about rude receptionists, and getting the «run around». I simply sat down and said hello. The receptionist seemed a bit tired, but she was nice.
The process went faster than I thought. She simply asked me for my required documents (these are clearly stated on the website), and my USPS money order; they will not except any other type of money order! She asked me where I was going, and if it was my first trip there. She was very helpful, and ended the appointment by telling me to enjoy my trip!
She said my VISA would be ready in one week!
It was a very low key process, and nothing like I expected it to be.
Just read the website, and have your documents in order. Don’t take any shortcuts, and don’t assume the process is negotiable.

I’m set to travel to Brazil in November for an Earthwatch Expedition. However, unlike my last Earthwatch experience in Iceland, a Visa is required. I decided to start early, and I’m glad I did. Brazil’s process is somewhat heavy handed and ridiculous, and I have to wonder what kind of «tit for tat» game this Nation and the USA are playing with their respective Citizens. I successfully negotiated the process, but have to wonder whether I’ll be better off in Reykjavik rather than Navagantes.
It all starts with an online application with clear, yet bureaucratic requirements. And don’t you dare miss a word or sentence when reading the instructions! After a few false starts (for want of specific information), I made the mandatory weekday appointment in Downtown San Francisco (weeks in advance). I also did my preparation work, which included finalizing my specific itinerary, obtaining a letter of invitation (in Portuguese), procuring a new set of passport photos, and buying a postal money order for $ 160 (cash or debit only).
I showed up for my 9 AM appointment, provided my confirmation information, received a number, sat down and waited my turn. There are 9 windows in the room, which only service specific U (?), P (Passport), and V (Visa) codes. If there’s an open Passport window and you’re looking for a Visa, they won’t help move the line along. I only waited 30 minutes or so, but I didn’t appreciate the one or 2 tour operators that seemed to automatically go the head of the line. In the meantime, plenty of Brazil-​related literature was available to pass the time.
I finally reached the window, had all my required documentation, answered a few basic questions, and finished my business within minutes thanks to the efficient, yet relatively friendly staff person at the window. That included giving up my passport (for the subsequent Visa add) and being given a choice between a Noon — 1 PM pickup on a subsequent day or forking out $ 20 at a nearby post office to have the package mailed to me via some version of priority mail. Since I didn’t want to make another trip into the City during working hours, I opted for the USPS option and ran down to the postal branch (and back) to obtain the right envelope.
Within a few days, my passport (now with an attractive Brazilian Visa page) was waiting for me in my Pleasant Hill mail box. Looking good! I just hope I never have to go through this sort of Visa application process again. Even my Hungarian Visa (before the Berlin Wall fell) was child’s play compared to Brazil’s obstacle course.

Atendimento excelente no consulado do Brasil em São Francisco. Cordialidade, clareza nos procedimentos, limpeza, conforto, enfim, ótima experiência. Parabéns aos envolvidos na organização do consulado.